My Thoughts

2016: Time To Turn Up and #BuildTheFuture!

Let me use this medium to formerly welcome you into the new year 2016 and wish you a very wonderful and prosperous year ahead.

As many offices open today and people return from the festivity holidays, it is a very good time to ask the question: how do you intend to turn up this year?

The year 2015 was very telling in the history of Nigeria in so many interesting and yet thought provoking ways. You would recall that it was predicted that 2015 will be the year Nigeria will break up blah blah blah. Anyway, here we are!

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in his book titled ‘The Vision’, tells the story of the Lion and the Gazelle:

“With each new day in Africa, a gazelle wakes up knowing that he must outrun the fastest lion or perish. At the same time, a lion stirs and stretches, knowing that he must outrun the fastest gazelle or starve. It is no different for the human race. Whether you consider yourself a gazelle or a lion, you simply have to run faster than others to survive”

Unless you are ready to die and rest in peace you have to assume the position of either the gazelle or the lion to survive in this clime and in life generally. Yes! It’s very possible but you have to do the hard miles.

So many predictions have been said about the year 2016 especially as it concerns the Nigerian economy with the incessant crashing of crude oil prices, the pressure on our currency as well as poor infrastructure to support local businesses. But what does this mean for us a citizens and inhabitants of this country?

In the midst of chaos plenty opportunities abound! This is the time for us young people of Nigeria to turn up by looking inward to harness the latent potentials and talents that we have over the years suppressed at the alter of white collar job search. By all means, there is nothing wrong with white collar jobs but not all of us will fit in there so we must as a matter of urgency look for alternatives!

If this country is ever going to get better from the current turmoil, it is up to us (you and I). The time to point fingers is gone, enough of the excuses! It is time to take ownership by accepting that our lives and country is our individual and collective responsibility respectively. No one is going to do it for us!!!

It is not going to be easy at the beginning but if we work very hard with persistence, perseverance and passion towards a definite purpose we shall achieve great things in the nearest future.

A week is already GONE in 2016! Do you have clarity on what you need to do to progress towards your ideal life? Is there something in particular that you have determined to do in 2016? It’s time to start TODAY!